KUCHING – Puncak Borneo Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) leaders are still clueless on who will be fielded in the constituency for the upcoming 15th general election (GE15).
Puncak Borneo has three assemblymen from PBB – Datuk Roland Sagah (Tarat), Datuk Dr Jerip Susil (Mambong) and Miro Simuh (Serembu) – and all have no immediate answer regarding the candidate they will support pending the decision by the Sarawak Premier and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chairman Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg.
When asked if they have any hint from PBB’s top leadership on who will be the GPS candidate for Puncak Borneo, Sagah said, “no” and Miro said “don’t know yet”.
Puncak Borneo used to be a PBB stronghold before it lost the seat to Datuk Willie Mongin in the 14th general election, who then contested under PKR.
Mongin, however, had left PKR and is now with PBB, which accepted his membership early last month.
It has so far been a low-key tussle for the Puncak Borneo candidacy between the aspiring candidates with everyone, including Mongin, toeing the party line.
Before Mongin’s application to join PBB was accepted by the party, three individuals – one each from the state constituencies of Tarat, Mambong and Serembu – started moving around to meet and get acquainted with the constituents.
The aspiring candidate from Serembu is lawyer Wejok Tomik, from Mambong a teacher Wilson Ahon, and from Tarat a leading corporation employee Neuchlas Jub.
All three are below 50 years old, and have been actively moving on the ground.
Now that Mongin has officially become a PBB member, the party is even spoiled for choice.
All eyes are now on Abang Johari to finalise the party candidate in Puncak Borneo.
Sagah, the most senior Bidayuh leader in PBB and GPS, had expressed that the coalition’s potential candidate for Puncak Borneo must have strong support from the voters there.
The PBB vice-president was quoted to have said this is to ensure GPS’ success in winning the seat as well as strengthening the struggle to defend Sarawak’s rights at the parliamentary level.
“Our struggle is not for individuals or solely for the parliamentary constituency of Puncak Borneo – but for Sarawak in general.
“Therefore, everyone must support whoever will be chosen as a candidate by the Sarawak Premier and PBB president to contest in this seat,” he said in a news report by the Sarawak Public Communications Unit at the launch of PBB Puncak Borneo Roadshow at the Serembu Eco Park, Siniawan on September 11.
He also called on members and supporters of GPS component parties in the state constituencies of Serembu, Mambong and Tarat to unite and work together to ensure the candidate’s electoral success.
Thus, for now, PBB leaders in Puncak Borneo are campaigning for the party, not for candidates.
Communications with the aspiring candidates have it that everyone keeps going and moving on the ground, to meet voters and serve them according to their own ways and styles, regardless of whether they will make the cut or not.
Till now, they also have no hint of who will be the GPS candidate in Puncak Borneo. – Borneo Post Online, September 30, 2022
